When is the right time to sip on some wine and beer? The correct answer is ALL THE TIME! Hey, It’s 5:00 somewhere, right?

Austin is full of amazing and unique wineries and breweries. You can spend forever exploring the many options that we have in an around Austin. I’ve gathered some of my favorite spots to visit when I need a good sip. Hopefully you’ve had the pleasure of enjoying a few of these spots as well. If not, what are you waiting for?

Wimberley Valley Winery: Don't let the name fool you, this winery is located in Driftwood. Wimberley Valley Winery offers a diverse food and wine menu. For $18, you can experience their tasting which includes sampling five delicious selections. They also have a wine club that you can join which offers special perks for you to enjoy with your friends. The food menu offers everything from pizza to burgers and even tots. Yum! Get the girls together or bring your boys to this little slice of heaven.

Jester King Brewery:  Just west of town on over 160 acres, this local favorite has plenty of space to offer more than just a refreshing beverage.  In addition to serving up cold brews, they also have an inn where you can spend the night, an event center, a farm, and restaurant. Jester King prides itself on using mostly all of their own farm grown ingredients. If you visit and end up falling in love with this place, you’re in luck! Because they host many weddings and large events here. I told you, its a beautiful place. Don’t take my word for it though, go visit for yourself.​

The Austin Winery: Located in an industrial section of South Austin, this urban winery offers an adorable atmosphere to sit and sip on some delicious wines. Maybe you’re a red drinker, or maybe you’re more of a white wine person. Whatever your choice, There is surely something for you here. The tasting room serves 3 half glass pours of your choice of wine, and the staff gives you a rundown of what you’ll be tasting. They also offer snack trays to feed your appetite.

St. Elmos Brewery: Adjacent to the Austin Winery, St. Elmos offers unique beer options from Pineapple Pale Ale to Hop Water and so much more. They have a large outdoor space where you will also find their delicious food truck, Spicy Boys.  Here you can enjoy mouth watering chicken sandwiches, nugs, curry, and more. Drop by and get your drink on while you chow down!

Austin Beerworks: Located in North Austin, this brewery offers a large variety of delicious beers such as Bloodwork Orange and Megaflora. Locals know the “A” logo and the vibrant colored cans. Austin Beerworks has a very low gluten count in their beers also, which makes for a great option if you have a gluten intolerance. There is also some great food to be enjoyed while you chug down your beer. Head on over to this colorful brewery today. You won’t be sorry!

Dutchman Family Winery: Known for their saying “100% Texas grapes, 100% Texas wine”, Dutchman Family Winery is also located in Driftwood.  Shaded by large beautiful trees and embellished with gorgeous chandeliers, the aesthetic alone is a great reason to take a visit to Dutchman. They regularly feature live music and host events such as painting and movie nights. You can also become a member of their wine club and try all of the exquisite wines that your body can handle.

The Austin Beer Garden Brewery: Known as The ABGB to locals, this South Austin brewery offers a great mix of beers, wines, and ciders. You’ll find a drink to satisfy everyone of your friends. They also offer live music of all genres, and food that will make your taste buds so happy! Their food menu has pizza, sandwiches, salads, desserts, and more. Sip on some award winning beers while you dance to the live music and chow down on some food from their large menu.


Meanwhile Brewing: Located in South Austin, Meanwhile Brewing offers an experience for more than just your average beer drinker. You can also find coffees, wine, cocktails, and plenty of food trucks. This brewery often hosts live music to enjoy too. There is also a private event venue and soccer field. Sounds pretty cool, right? Well, Get your ass over there and let your fun side come out to play!

Have you been to any of these fantastic places? What are some of your favorite spots?

Slowly but surely, the 2020 US Census data from 2020 is being released.  Although these stats are not perfect, they were obtained during the pandemic after all, they do give us some insights as to what’s happening in the ATX.  There weren’t too many surprises, spoiler alert: the greater Austin area is growing rapidly in case you hadn’t noticed.  But, the official count for the City of Austin population did fall slightly shorter than expected with an estimated 961,855 people residing in the capital of the lone star state. Officially, this makes Austin the 11th most populous city in the United States.


While the population for residents within the city limits has increased slightly over 20% over the past ten years, many of you may be thinking “that’s it”.  I know, that number feels low to me too, and the truth is, the population of Austin as we know it is about way more than just those living in the city limits.  Residents of Sunset Valley, Westlake Hills, Pfluggerville, Leander and many other adjacent areas make up what we think of as Austinites.  According to the latest census stats the Austin-Round Rock metro area is the fastest growing metro area in Texas.


At the county level, we saw significant increases in population levels throughout Central Texas.  Hays County which encompasses Dripping Springs, Buda, Kyle, San Marcos and Kimberly was the fastest growing county in the state.  Since 2010, Hays saw more than a 50% increase in residents over the past ten years with the population now nearly a quarter of a million people.  In Travis County, the census showed a population of 1,290,188 people for 2020 and Williamson County is home to over 600,000 people. Together, these stats show what everyone who’s ever sat in traffic on I-35 knows is true - there are way more than one million Austinites.